How does the program work?
Toastmasters is peer driven and club oriented. Members are provided with training materials through Toastmasters International. In the club environment, new members are assigned an experienced member, or mentor, to guide them through their first three speech assignments from the Communication and Leadership Program manual. At each step of the way, the member gets an individual assessment of how well he or she performed against the objectives of their speech. All members continue to receive feedback on their speaking performances. Clubs are organized under Districts which provide oversight to clubs, including training, to assure that high standards are maintained in the club environment.

How do I get scheduled to speak or fill a role such as evaluator, timer or Table Topics Master?
The Vice President of Education is responsible for scheduling all the meetings. Typically, you will discuss your educational goals with the VP of Education. He/she will work closely in scheduling varying roles for you two weeks in advance. So be sure to sign-up ahead of time. Also in your manual there is a detailed description of the job you are scheduled to fill, whether it be speaking, evaluating or so on. The VP of Education usually schedules three meetings at a time, so you will have plenty of advanced notice in order to prepare. If you have a specific goal in mind, be sure to let the VP of Education know; since he or she is also responsible for helping you to achieve your speaking goals!

What if I can’t make it to one of the meetings?
Everyone has outside responsibilities that make it impossible to attend every Toastmasters meeting. If, however, you are scheduled to speak or fulfill another role and you cannot make the meeting, you must tell the Toastmaster of that meeting. Be sure to call the Toastmaster (his or her name and phone number are on the schedule) as soon as possible and offer to help to get a replacement. You will want to alert the Toastmaster before finding your own replacement because he or she may know of someone who is ready and eager to speak, and can therefore save you a lot of effort.

Who is on the executive board and how were they elected?
The executive board is currently comprised of seven positions: Sergeant at arms, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President of Public Relations, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Education and President. They are nominated each year by the nominating committee and voted in by the members. If a member who was not nominated by the committee wants to run for an office, he may nominate himself.

How is Toastmasters organized?
Within Toastmasters, the club is the fundamental and most central unit. Our club is William Paterson University Toastmasters. Next in the hierarchy is the Area. William Paterson and three other Passaic County clubs comprise Area 12. Then there is the Division (we are in Division A). Ten Divisions make up a District. Our District – District 46 – includes clubs in New Jersey and Metropolitan New York. And finally, districts are organized into Regions. You may be interested to know that Toastmasters International has 9 regions, 75 districts and 174,000 members in 63 countries throughout the world!

As a member of Toastmasters, you are invited to attend Area, Division and District level contests. And you may even find yourself at the International Convention, an exciting annual event held in a different city every year. If you attend this convention, be prepared for something special because Toastmasters has some of the best speakers you will ever hear!

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